Wednesday, November 19, 2008

More gemstones

I could not be a happier, or luckier girl.

I wanted to buy some peridot, a a good price. Since the Jewelry Channel is going ou of business by the end of this month, I got in on a good deal.

But It seems that I accidentally ordered 2! So now I have a total of 4 carats of peridot. Nothing to complain about here! These stones are lovely, lovely, and remind me of Frost's poem, "nothing gold can stay"

TJC was doing a business deal that day. Then you ordered anything, you got a matching set of gemstones. One out of ten posibilities. These included garnet, citrine, saphire, emerald and TANZANITE! Was it so wrong of me to pray that I didnt get the citrine? I lay awake for days going "No... no... not citrine!"


So you can imagine I was excited for my freebies to arrive. I prayed for tanzanite.


I GOT TANZANITE! YEEEHAW! Free Tanzanite!

Of corse he stones are tiney... about .25 each, but they are all MINE!


and he other, accidental order? No, I didnt get the citrine! My Prayers were answered and I got


PINK SAPHIRE! I had wanted some, but the stones were out of my price range, much like tanzanite!

So for about $40, I got 4 carats Peridot, Tanzanite, and Pink Saphire!

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Gold-Buying Parties

I was invited to attend one today, and I went with a bunch of 'gold' items. I have bought some scrap jewelry in bulk, and didnt know exactly what I did and did not have.

It turns out I had one 14k chain, worth about 3.10 in gold. my check will be comming soon, lol! Since I'm not a yellow-gold wearer, I know little about it other than the purity levels. Gold isnt marked nearly as well as silver is.... and that is a shame.

There is a handy tip I learned from the friendly "Mr Goldstein" (yes, that was his name) for detecting what was gold and what was not.

Hold a magnet over it.

Simple as that. Mettal alloys with gold fill are instantly atracted to the magnet. Gold in purity, is not. If it is a chain, hold it over the chain itself, for the clasps can be different metals, even if the gold is pure!

Hope you enjoy he interesting lesson!

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Diamonds

Loose stones. They can be a pricey venture... but so worth it! I choose to see my stones as an investment. Although when I look at them my mouth cant help but water. And why not? They are bright and sparkling... reminding me nearly of candy or juice.

Whenever I think of the holocost, I always remember one story I heard about a woman who swallowed her family's heirloom diamonds. She would swallow them quickly, and whenever she had to use the restroom.... she would painstakingly comb though her waste to find them again. Then, she would repeat the process.

here in an excerpt from this website:
http://www.jewishmag.com/104mag/witness/witness.htm

Irene reinforced the importance of family ties. At the age of thirteen, Irene was orphaned upon arrival at a concentration camp when her parents were immediately herded into the gas showers. She was also separated from her siblings, all of whom were eventually murdered. Narrowly avoiding a similar fate because the chamber was over-packed, Irene was left alone to fend for herself. The only remaining tangible connection to her loved ones was four diamonds her mother had given her. Despite certain death if caught with such valuables, Irene defiantly insisted on preserving the memento of her family.
Irene's mother had beseeched her to use the diamonds to feed herself. Instead, Irene used the diamonds to feed her soul, nourishing her wounded spirit. For the remainder of her years incarcerated, Irene continually swallowed the stones. Secretly slipping away to the waste holes, she would claw and pick through her own waste to recover the diamonds. In a world where love suddenly evaporated, Irene clung onto her family through this pathetic, brave cycle until liberation.
Today, Irene—mother and grandmother—wears her mother's diamonds on a pendant that hangs from her neck. Resting by her heart, the four diamonds are set in the shape of a teardrop to symbolize the sadness and anguish evoked by the memory of her family's cruel demise. Imagining Irene's unimaginable aloneness at such a young age augments my appreciation for being surrounded by a loving family. As a witness to this witness, I will retell Irene's horrors so people will understand that when hatred goes unchecked, the result leaves children without families—in total desolation.


I can imagine swallowing stones like Irene, pregnant with the knowledge that I would have hard, bright contents of the earth inside of me.

Another story I'm sure some people are familiar with is the story of the good sister and the bad sister who meet a woman in the woods. The good sister is kind and helpful, the bad sister is horrid and mean. For reward and punishment, the old lady, who is actually a witch, causes flowers and gemstones to emerge from the good girl's mouth every time she talks. From the bad girl's mouth comes reptiles and insects.

Which sister would you rather be? I've read stories that have taken on both sides. But I, for one, would rather be the girl who spat out stones and flowers. Even if it ment I would have to stop talking so much! I could imagine myself reading the dictionary from a to z and seeing what would emerge from my mouth.

However, that can never be. Like everyone else, I have to buy my stones.

Friday, November 7, 2008

Mudlarks

London's River Thames has long been a hot spot for "Mudlarks"-
Traditionaly young children or widowed women who scoured the muck for tings of value.

what Wouldnt I give to do the same thing! Modern-Day mudlarks are turning up everything from bicycles to coins minted in Tudor times.... even to artifacts from Roman-occupied England!

So, what's the big deal? why cant I just go out there and pick up a Tudor treasure for myself? Short and Simple: I cant, because it's illegal. Unless I have a permit.

There are three types of permits that you can find here: http://www.ncmd.co.uk/docs/pla%20permit.pdf

The range is from "Day Pass" on up, but these are HEAVILY regulated. Only a member of the elite may get the "Mudlark Pass" and to get the Mudlark Pass you must first belong to the "Society of Thames Mudlarks".

So, that's a setback, but one that we should be able to work around, correct? Wrong again. The Mudlarks dont have a website, e-mail or contact number. Short of that, the only solution I can see to find such a member of the Elitest mudlarks is to take a trip to England, wander down to the Thames and start asking eery person you see digging in the mud "Can I join your super-cool club?"


But will you get a yes? More importantly, do you WANT to get a yes?

All of the finds the Mudlarks make that have historical value are immediately turned over to the museum of London. The Mudlarks of today's society are interested in providing a cultural background for London- not putting dinner on their tables as was the goal of mudlarks in Industrial England.

And beg as you might to join the secret society, they can always deny you entry. Or it seems that could be a posibility. Since it's foundation in 1979-1980 it seems like the 'Larks havent had more than 100 members in their group. Is it misinformation? Is it truth? Is it because most people can Quell their Magpie syndrome? Or is the muckky Thames the main reason why people steer clear of the treasure?

the only way one could ever know is to be invited into the Society itself.